anderson



A118- 18, 1959 A. w. ANDERSON 2,899,791 MECHANISM FOR HEAT SEALINGWRAPPERS AND A METHOD OF' SEALING PACKAGES Filed June 14. 1957 2Sheets-Sheet l UIMMLIH i ik i l I Aug. 18, 1959 A. w. ANDERSON 2,899,791MECHANISM FOR HEAT SEALING WRAPPERS AND A METHOD OF SEALING PACKAGESFiled June 14, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Bim-uf@ United States PatentMECHANISM FOR HEAT SEALENG WRAPPERS AND A METHOD 0F SEALING PACKAGESAndrew W. Anderson, Nutley, NJ., assignor to Scandia Packaging MachineryCompany, a corporation of New Jersey Application June 14, 1957, SerialNo. 665,740

2 Claims. (Cl. 53-376) This invention relates to mechanism for heatsealing wrappers and to a method of sealing packages.

The invention has been worked out particularly in connection withnon-rigid packages or packages having flexible walls around which thewrapper is to be sealed.

The invention has for its salient object to provide simple and practicalmeans for flexibly applying heat to seal a wrapper around a package ofthe character described having a non-rigid or flexible wall.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the followingspecilication taken in connection with the drawings which form a part ofthis application, and in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partly insection, showing heat applying sealing means embodying the invention,this View being taken substantially on line 1-1 of Fig. 2, looking inthe direction of the arrows;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on line 22 of Fig.1, looking in the direction of the a1'- rows;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation taken substantially on line3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view of the exible sealing strip;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken at right angles to the sealingstrip and showing the manner in which the package is applied against thesealing strip;

Fig. 6 is a perspective elevation showing the wrapped package with theflap to be sealed in open position; and

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the flap in closedposition.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in thedrawings, the packages P are pushed along a table or platform 10, eithermanually or by feeding mechanism. When the packages are placed on theplatform the wrapper has been applied thereto in the manner shown inFig. 6 and the closure flap 11 is in open position but is foldedupwardly, as shown in Fig. 5. This flap has suitable adhesive or solventthereon so that when pressed against the folded side of the wrapperunder the action of heat the llap will adhere to the portions underneathand will close the wrapper.

The invention has been particularly developed for use in connection witha package having thin non-rigid material and having flexible sides sothat when a rigid pressure is exerted against the side wall and flap aneffective seal cannot be formed since the wall and ap will give due totheir llexibility and will be forced into a concave condition.

In order to overcome this difficulty the heat applying means is madeflexible. This means consists of a plurality of metallic members 12which are secured to a exible strip 13 by screws 14. Between the head ofthe screw and the strip there is mounted opposite each member 12 aconcave spring member 15.

The members 12 at the top and bottom thereof have flat extensions 16which extend beneath llanges 17 and 18 formed on a block or casing 19 inwhich is mounted a heater '20. The heat is transmitted through the blockor casing 19 and the flanges 17 and 18 and to a certain extent throughthe springs 16 and strip 13 to the members 12.

Since the strip 13 is flexible and therefore the members 12 can moverelative to each other, as the package with the flap 11 is pressedagainst the members 12 and moved along the table or platform 10, aexible heat transmitting pressure is exerted against the wall of thepackage and the flap 11, thus elfectively sealing the flaps.

Since, as above stated, the packages are not filled with solid materialand are, therefore, flexible, they are held in position against the heatapplying members 12 by pressure against the package and also by a seriesof V-shaped or wedge-shaped rollers 21 which are mounted on arms 22pivoted at 23 to a plate 24. Springs 25 press the rollers resilientlydownwardly and due to the V-shape of the rollers 21 the rollers tend toaid in pressing the side wall and flap 11 against the heating members.

Although one specific embodiment of the invention has been particularlyshown and described it will be under- `stood that the invention iscapable of modification and that changes in the construction and in thearrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in thefollowing claims.

What I claim is:

l. In combination, a platform for supporting movable packages to besealed, means at one side of the platform for loosely and flexiblysupporting a plurality of heating members, a plurality of flexiblyconnected heating members mounted in said support, means fortransmitting heat to said members, and means above the path of thepackages on the platform for resiliently engaging the edges of thepackages adjacent said sealing means and forcing the package aps to besealed against the heating members.

2. In combination, a platform for supporting movable packages to besealed, means at one side of the platform for loosely and flexiblysupporting a plurality of heating members, a plurality of flexiblyconnected heating members mounted in said support, means fortransmitting heat to said members, and V-shaped means above the path ofthe packages on the platform for resiliently engaging the edges of thepackages adjacent said sealing means and forcing the package flaps to besealed against the heating members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,583,371 Rich May 4, 1926 1,936,462 Smith et al. Nov. 21, 19332,092,916 Hildebrand Sept. 14, 1937 2,434,617 Hoppe Jan. 13, 19482,805,533 Holstebroe Sept. 10, 1957

